


Joined

by SiriuslySherlocked



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cute, Fluff, Gay, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Mystery, Neck Kissing, No Smut, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2019-11-12 22:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18019508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiriuslySherlocked/pseuds/SiriuslySherlocked
Summary: Harry and Draco find themselves in a... tough situation one day. They've got a lot to get used to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The beginning concept WAS NOT MY IDEA! I'll tell you more at the end of this chapter so I don't spoil it for you :) Enjoy!

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were not friends. They were mortal enemies. They hated each other beyond belief. But this was the last thing running through his mind when Harry sprinted, with difficulty, on his way to the hospital wing. He had a terrible pain in his stomach, and chest, and all over... he clutched at his torso as he ran, squinting through the hallway that was becoming a messy blur... suddenly, he was knocked backward by something hard, which said "ow!"

He noticed that for an instant when he and the thing had touched, the pain had stopped. 

With the help of the brief recovery, Harry was able to see just enough to make out Draco Malfoy on the floor, massaging his head.

Curious, Harry carefully moved his foot so that it just barely touched Draco's and was amazed as the pain eased. 

"Potter, what do you think you're- wait-" Draco had realized the ease in pain too. For Draco had been running for the same reason Harry was. A throbbing pain, but not a headache(as he had repeatedly had to tell his teachers), had started in his head and he was trying to get to the hospital wing. 

"I have to get to the hospital wing," Harry muttered, getting up, but immediately doubling over in pain, as Draco did the same. 

He moved his foot to Draco's again. "Wait, you have the same thing as I do?" Harry said.

"That's ridiculous," Draco snapped. Who else possibly has a pain in their head that isn't a headache and that can't be cured? Except apparently when touching you," Malfoy said, saying the last bit under his breath. 

"Well, I have the same thing, except in my chest and stomach," Harry said. "Is it just me, or does it seem to kind of... go away when I'm touching you?"

"What?!" Draco said in disgust. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"it's not hurting right now, is it? It's not hurting me."

"Wha- but- it can't-" Draco sputtered. "Fine, I admit it feels a bit better at the moment. But who says it's because of you? Maybe it's because... I'm lying on the floor!" 

Harry moved his foot and he and Draco, still lying on the floor, felt the pain.

"Well maybe it's because of you for now," Draco said when Harry had moved his foot back. "But I think it's just a category that you may happen to fit into... like all guys, or-or blokes with glasses."

"Let's go see Madam Pomfrey," Harry said. 

"How are we supposed to get there if we're about to die from this... whatever this is?" Draco said.

"Well... I guess we have to be touching each other."

Draco made a face when Harry offered his hand. "I am  _not_ holding your hand, Potter."

Harry sighed. "Would you rather hold my hand or be 'about to die'?" 

"Hm, well, personally, I think I'd rather die."

Harry sighed again. "Well, I wouldn't." Harry told hold of Draco's elbow and dragged him to the hospital wing. 

 

"Hmm... I think this is a special kind of bonding magic," Madam Pomfrey said. "Yes, here it is. It appears to occur with two people who are supposedly going to need each other in the future."

The two boys looked at each other. 

"I don't need him!" Draco protested loudly.   

"Well, your bond seems to think otherwise. You don't know the future," Madam Pomfrey said. "You're perfectly fine as long as you keep touching each other. You may go."

In stunned silence, Harry and Draco, now regretfully holding fingers, left the hospital wing. They walked in awkward silence until each other them tried to turn a different way. "Oh... where are we going to sleep and all? We aren't in the same house," Harry remarked. 

"I noticed, Potter. Weren't you listening? Pomfrey said we could use the Room of Requirement."

"Oh. You know about that?"

"I just mentioned it, didn't I?"

The boys walked to the corridor containing the secret room and thought about what they needed as they walked past the wall three times. They stopped as a large door materialized in front of their eyes. They entered and found a large room, colored very modernly, with a two-person bed, a couch, and a number of other things that would make them as comfortable as possible. Well, almost.

"Oh," Draco said, looking at the bed. "Oh..."

"Oh what?"

" _Oh_ , haven't you noticed the bed?" Draco said irritably. "There's only one. Which means we're enemies and I hate you and we have to sleep in the same bed!"

"Oh..." 

"Yes, _oh._ "

"This is going to take some getting used to," Harry said, dragging Draco over and sitting on the couch. 

"Obviously," Draco said. He sighed. "I hate you, Potter."

"Hate you too, Malfoy."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry said casually, "I have to pee."

Draco slapped a hand to his forehead. "Ugh, how're we supposed to take care of that?"

"I dunno. Maybe I can reach my hand up over the wall for you to hold?"

"That'll put an awful lot of strain on your arm. And mine."

"It's better than having to watch," Harry said, smirking.

Draco shivered. "Ulgh. Wonderfully mature image to put in my head, Potter."

"You're welcome," Harry said. "We have a lot to get used to..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, I already have the story written so... I have no excuse. Chapter two yay...!

 

That night, the boys looked at the bed together, repulsed by the fact that they had to sleep together. "How're we supposed to get dressed?" Harry said. 

Draco gave a long, drawn out sigh. "I don't like this. We'll have to be touching each other somehow. Maybe... I can put my foot on yours when we get shirts on and hands together for pants?"

"Alright."

"No, it's not."

The two boys silently got dressed for bed, turned away from each other. 

"Should we maybe tie our hands together when we sleep so that we don't accidentally lose connection?" Harry suggested. 

"No! That would bloody hurt. Besides, I don't think we'll let go if we have the sub-conscience thought of excruciating pain otherwise."

Harry shrugged. "Suit yourself."

They awkwardly climbed into bed and the lighting in the room automatically dimmed.

"Goodnight," Harry said. 

Malfoy just grunted. 

* * *

"AAHHHHHGGGG!" Two shrieks of pain were heard at one twenty two-ish in the morning. Harry and Draco immediately grasped for each other in the dark until the pain began to subside. 

"Where are you? There you are... Is this even your hand? I don't remember it being this big..."

"That's my waist, Potter."

"Oh... where's your hand?"

"Where's YOUR hand?"

Harry found his wand and whispered, "Lumos."

A ball of light appeared at the tip of his wand and he took Draco's hand.

"Thanks a lot for calling my waist big, by the way," Draco said. 

"Well... sorry, I meant it was big for a hand..."

Now that the two were awake, it was hard to go back to sleep. They simply lay there, after Harry had tied their hands together(uselessly, because they never ended up going back to sleep). By the time it was morning and time to get up for school, they were both very tired. They dazedly got dressed and went down to the Great Hall together. Harry hadn't gotten a chance to tell Ron and Hermione what had happened yet, so he dragged Draco with him to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Ron and Hermione. 

"Harry! Where have you been---"

They both stared at Draco, then at Harry, then at their joined hands. "Er... Harry," said Ron. "You realize you're holding hands with--- with Draco Malfoy, don't you?"

"Yes," Harry said. Malfoy and I have this bond---"

"Don't call it that," Draco interrupted.

"Right," said Harry. "We have this... inconvenience where we have to touch each other or we both feel a lot of pain. So we're---"

"---Stuck together for the rest of our lives,"

Draco entered grumpily. 

"Oh... wow," Hermione said. "I think I've read about those somewhere..."

"I'm sure you have," Ron dismissed. "Harry, how do you do anything with HIM around?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno, we've figured most of it out."

"How do you sleep? How do you use the loo?"

"Aren't you curious," Draco drawled. "Or is it just being nosy?"

Harry ignored him. "We just put our arms over the stalls, and we have to tie our hands when we sleep. Did you hear that screaming in the middle of the night? That was us making the mistake to not secure our hands. Because HE didn't want to," he jerked his head towards Draco. 

"Well how should I have known what would happen?" Draco said defensively. 

"You should've used common sense," Harry said. 

Draco rolled his eyes. Later, when they were almost finished eating, Harry's head finally drooped onto Draco's shoulder as he drifted off to sleep. "Get OFF of me, Potter!" Draco spat, shoving him away. 

"I'm tired!" Harry said. "Because thanks to you, we hardly got any sleep last night!" 

"I didn't think we would let go!" 

"Cut it out you two!" Ron said. "You guys are almost as bad as Hermione and me."

* * *

Over the next few days, Harry and Draco bickered just as much as they had before they were joined together, but that did not stop the school from coming up with the most outrageous rumours. One little first year girl came up to them and shyly asked if they were dating. Draco's reaction made her scurry off very quickly. Harry gave him a look. "You don't have to be so mean to other people about it," he said. "Just because we hate each other doesn't mean we have to show it."

"It does too!" Draco said. "I don't want people running away with the idea that _we_ are  _dating_." 

As soon as he said the words, Peeves the Poltergeist came soaring down the hallway, singing.

"It's Potty and Drake Drake holding hands, oh yes, 

Some say they can't help it, but Peevsie knows best,

He knows they're in love, and Peevsie can't rest---"

"SHUT UP!" Draco and Harry yelled together.

Peeves sped off cackling, now singing about Potroast and Malfat sitting in a tree.

"You see what I mean?!" Draco said furiously. 

"Well, you can't expect Peeves to change," Harry said wearily.

"We're sitting at the Slytherin table for supper today, Potroa--- I mean Potter."

"Fine."

They trudged to the Great Hall and sat at the Slytherin table with Draco friends. "---and so I have to be stuck with him forever," he finished. 

Pansy Parkinson had her mouth open. "Poor Drakie!" She cried. 

"Pansy, don't call me that, please," Draco said through gritted teeth. 

"You should hear the nicknames my aunt gives my cousin Dudley," Harry said thoughtfully. 

Draco continued to talk to his friends like Harry had with Ron and Hermione. Harry supposed it was only fair. Except Malfoy's friends kept teasing him about Harry, which made Harry feel a little guilty. "I can't believe you, Malfoy," Blaise Zabini was saying. "Actually dating Harry Potter? What a blood traito---"

"Shut up, Blaise!" Draco said angrily. "I am NOT dating Potter!"

Harry was silent. 

"I told you, we have this thing where we get hurt if we don't touch each other! I can even prove it if you'd like."

"Don't, Malfoy---" Harry began, but Draco let go of his hand and they both collapsed onto the table with agonizing pain before finally grabbing hold of each other again. 

"Good acting," Blaise said. 

Draco gave a loud, frustrated groan. 

After dinner, when the two boys were heading back to their room, Harry started yelling. 

"That was a bloody selfish thing to do!" He said.

"What?"

"Letting go! It hurts me too!"

"Well how else was I going to get them to shut up?"

"Magic, I don't know!" Harry said. 

Draco sighed, rolled his eyes, and said, "Fine. Sorry."

Harry looked away. 

They silently got dressed and went to bed.


	3. Chapter Three

Draco woke up very warm. He kept his eyes closed and sighed peacefully. Whatever was hugging him, he wanted it to stay there. It wasn't until the warm thing shifted that Draco remembered that Harry was with him. He snapped his eyes open to find Harry hugging his waist, his face buried in his shoulder. 

"Potter! What do you think you're doing?!" Draco yelled. 

Harry stirred, but did not wake up. 

"Potter! _Potter_! _HARRY POTTER_!"

Finally Harry woke with a start. "What?! ...Oh." He realized what he was doing and immediately pushed away. "Sorry."

Draco snorted. "You must have forgiven me in your sleep."

"Right, well, I'm going back to bed," Harry said embarrassedly, turning himself away from Draco.

* * *

Later, on their way down to lunch, they met Blaise Zabini in a hallway. "Hey! Hey, Malfoy! Potter! How many times do you guys kiss every day?"

Harry and Draco both went red; Harry from embarrassment, Draco from anger. "We are not dating, Blaise," he said through gritted teeth. 

"You act like it," Blaise crowed. "I hear you even sleep together."

"We have to! Do you think I  _want_ to sleep with this git every night?!" Draco said. 

For some reason, Harry found himself feeling a bit hurt. 

"Just shove it, Blaise." Draco continued to walk, but Blaise walked with him. 

"Hooking up with Potter! I never thought it would've been you! I thought you had a boyfriend---"

"Shut up, Blaise!" Draco said loudly. He didn't really want Harry to know he was gay, for some reason. He walked even faster, dragging Harry along, until they reached the Great Hall. "We can sit with your friends if you'd like," Draco muttered. 

"Malfoy, are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright,  why wouldn't I be?" Draco snapped. 

"I just thought his teasing might be bothering you---"

"It's all in good fun. It doesn't bother me," Draco lied. But he thought about it for the rest of the day. It did bother him a little. It was definitely annoying. It just wouldn't stop. Blaise kept showing up everywhere he went, and it was becoming more than teasing about Harry. Blaise had started teasing about other things too, like if Malfoy got a bad grade, or even if a piece of his hair was sticking out unnaturally (this only happened once, but Draco blamed Harry for not telling him that his hair wasn't perfect). 

Draco started to avoid anywhere other than classrooms and the Room of Requirement, and he ate very quickly and dragged Harry out of the Great Hall before anyone else. 

"Look, it's ickle Drakie, holding hands with his Potter again," Blaise said, to a crowd that was forming. 

"Shut it, Blaise," Draco said without looking up.

"I wonder when they'll get married, they obviously can't live without each other---"

"Stop it."

"I bet each night they go and---"

"SHUT UP!" Harry shouted suddenly. Draco looked up at him in surprise. So did everyone else.

"Why are you so mean?! Just leave him alone, alright?" Harry said. Slowly, the crowd lessened and all went their separate ways. 

"Er... thanks," said Draco awkwardly.

"No problem," Harry said. "They don't need to be bullying anybody, even you."

Draco couldn't help giving a tiny smile. 

* * *

Draco hated to admit it, but he and Harry didn't fight as much. It was more like playful arguing. Were they becoming friends? Harry hoped so, because it would be much easier for them to live together. But Draco refused to admit he was becoming friends with his enemy. He tried to tell himself he was just getting used to them being together, and had accepted it, but Draco found himself becoming fond of Harry, and he hated himself for it. The way he had stuck up for him... and continued to do so, whenever Blaise came back. Draco started wondering why he hated Harry so much anyway. He wasn't a bad person. Was Draco just sore because Harry hadn't accepted his friendship in first year? Draco now realized that you can't make friends by bashing their other friends. Or maybe it was just built into his system. Harry's mother was muggleborn, which made Harry half blood, and the Malfoys never mixed with anyone other than purebloods. But the Weasleys are purebloods, and you hate them even more, a voice whispered in his ear. "But the Weasleys associate with muggleborns and such," he said aloud. 

"What?" Harry said.

"Hm? Nothing." Draco continued to think about why he was the way he was. So much in fact, that he did not notice Harry calling his name to watch out for the knight statue in front of him. 

"Ouch!" Draco said.

"You okay?" Harry said, who couldn't help chuckling a bit. 

"Yeah..."

"What were you thinking so hard about?"

"Thinking? I wasn't thinking," Draco said quickly. 

"It's kind of hard not to think," Harry said. "For instance, I can't help thinking 'this is stupid' in Divination."

Draco forced a laugh and continued walking, which earned him a suspicious look from Harry.

Draco was grateful that his thoughts were private. If they were not, his dignity would have been ruined long ago. But a sudden burst of confidence overwhelmed him for a split second, and he thought, screw it. "Potter," he said suddenly. 

"Yeah?"

"Can I call you Harry?"

Harry was so taken aback that he stopped dead, making Draco stumble. "Er... yeah, I-I suppose," he stammered. "Why?"

"Well, I was thinking about why I hate you so much, and I couldn't really find a good answer, so I've decided we can be friends if we want, and never mind what my father says."

"Oh--- well, that's great!" Harry said, starting to walk again. "Is that why you are... how you are? Because of your father?"

"Sometimes," Draco sighed. "And other times it's just how I've been raised."

"To be a snarky git?"

Draco elbowed him. "No, just to think I'm better than other people because I'm pureblood. And it was also because I was kind of jealous of you."

"Really?" Harry said in surprise. "Why?"

Draco shrugged. "I guess all the attention you get, and always being the hero..."

"To be honest, I hate all the attention," Harry said. "And if I'm ever the hero, it's just me trying to do the right thing. For the sake of doing the right thing, not for glory."

Draco nodded. "Well, you've definitely saved a fair few in the past few years here."

"Yeah..."

"How you feel about... you know, having to defeat You-Know-Who in the end?" Draco asked cautiously. 

"I dunno... I try not to think about it much. Although it's kind of everywhere nowadays."

"Yeah... aren't you ever scared?"

"Of course I'm scared," Harry said. "But I don't always have a choice."

They had reached their room. After they had gotten ready, they climbed into bed, their hands bound. 

"Goodnight," Harry said. 

"...Night," Draco said back. 

Harry closed his eyes and smiled. He had said goodnight to Draco every night since they had to start sleeping together, but tonight was the first time Draco had ever answered him. 

 


	4. Chapter Four

Draco woke early the next day and tried to get up, only to be dragged down again by the still-asleep Harry's weight. He scowled. It was a pain having to take Harry with him everywhere sometimes. As he was getting back in bed, a large owl soared through an open window that had just appeared. It landed next to Draco on his bedside table. Draco took the letter that was clamped in its beak and opened it. "Oh no," he muttered. "Oh nooo..." 

The owl hooted irritably, bringing him back into reality. "Oh--- sorry, thanks for the letter," Draco said quickly. 

The owl hooted again with dignity and flew off. Draco read over the letter again. He didn't know what he was going to do. 

Harry began to stir. "Draco, what's that?" He said sleepily, seeing the letter and Draco's horrified face. "It's from my father," Draco said weakly. "He's... he's coming here. Today."

"He is? Why?"

"He just said he wanted to make sure things were acceptable for me at the school."

"Well that's nice of him."

Draco shifted to look at him incredulously. "Harry, don't you realize? He's going to see us!"

Harry's face crumpled in confusion until Draco gave him a look and held up their bound hands. 

"Oh," he said. 

"God, you're so _slow_ , Potter," Draco said, looking at the ceiling. "He's going to kill me."

"Well... can we hide all day?"

"We can try, but I bet he'll ask to see me or something. Isn't there any way we can make this less noticeable?"

Harry shook his head. "Why can't you just tell him the truth? I mean... if it means that much to you, we can separate for a few seconds again."

Draco was touched by his willingness, but shook his head. "No. You know what he's like. He won't believe it."

"He'll think you're lying?"

"I don't know... he'll be mad."

"But it's not your fault!"

"No, but I just don't think it'll go down well with him, whether it's my fault or not."

Harry shook his head. "That's insane," he said. 

Draco sighed. "It's... Just how he is."

 

Draco took a shaky breath and prepared himself to face his father. He should be coming soon. He walked down to his Care of Magical Creatures class with Harry as Hagrid started to talk about some new creature. "We can't really just run for it if we're in the middle of class," Harry said. 

"No... we can try and hide in the crowd, maybe..."

Around the middle of class, there were noises that indicated that a carriage was being pulled, and Lucius Malfoy became visible on the castle grounds. 

"Crap, he's here!" Draco said. "What do I say??"

"Why are you so nervous? It's your own father," Harry said. "You used to be all 'my father will hear about this'."

"I mainly said that to scare people," said Draco, "but really, I hate talking to him."

Lucius exited the carriage and strolled onto the field where the class was going on and spotted Draco. He walked over to him, and then stopped when he saw that he was holding Harry's hand. 

"Hello, Draco," he said. 

"Hello, Father," Draco answered nervously. 

"Draco," Lucius said. "Who is that you've become friends with?"

"H-Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" His eyes flickered upwards to the scar on Harry's forehead like everyone did, even though he had seen Harry before.

"Really," he said. "Interesting. Draco--- why don't we have a little chat later, yes?"

Draco swallowed. 

Harry suddenly started coughing very loudly. 

"Har--- Potter, what are you doing?"

"Oh no, I guess I better go to the hospital wing," Harry said, running away and dragging Draco with him. 

Once they were inside the castle, Draco said, "What did you do that for?"

"You looked like you couldn't stand him, and frankly, I couldn't either."

"Oh, well... thanks."

"Just avoid him for the rest of the day. How about we go to our room and wait until out next class?"

Draco nodded and the two retreated towards their room. 

* * *

The next morning, Draco woke up, and his and Harry's hands were not bound, but there was no pain either. 'That's weird,' he thought. He got up and walked away, but there was still no pain. "Huh," Draco said. "Well, what am I doing in here? I can go back to the Slytherin common room." He started to walk away when Harry called his name. 

Draco turned to find Harry, in bed, his shirt off, looking extremely attractive--- wait a second---

Draco gaped at Harry, both because he looked good and because he was shocked that he thought so. 'No,' he thought, 'you are not going to start liking Harry Potter. What would your father say?' But a desire unlike any other snuck up inside him and a voice snaked into his mind. "Look at him," it said. "Don't you just want to attack that body? Don't you just want to kiss those lips?"

No, I don't, Draco thought back sternly. Yet he found himself walking closer to Harry. He was back in bed, lips drawing closer to Harry's...

 

"NO! No no no no no!" Draco shouted. 

"Whatsamatter?" Harry said, startling awake. 

Draco looked at him. "What's the matter? WHAT'S THE MATTER?! WE JUST FUCKING KISSED, THAT'S WHAT'S THE MATTER! WHY IS IT SO DARK IN HERE?!"

Harry put his glasses on. "Because it's two in the morning," Harry said. "And what do you mean, we just... kissed?" 

"We just... I went to leave, and you called me... and then I was next to you and we were kissing..."

"How were you about to leave without me?" 

"Our hands weren't bound anymore and it didn't hurt, so I thought I'd---"

"Draco, I think that was a dream," Harry said. "Are hands are still bound and we definitely didn't kiss."

"A... a dream..." Why on earth would he dream of such a thing? Well, dreams aren't always pleasant, Draco told himself. There's such thing as a nightmare. Yeah, that's what it was. A nightmare. He would never kiss Potter in real life. 


	5. Chapter Five

Over the next few weeks, Draco and Harry became closer. They worked and laughed together instead of apart or against each other, which was quite helpful when unable to physically separate. Draco couldn't stop thinking about Harry, and he also couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he was thinking about Harry. He admitted that he and Harry were friends now. Draco had never really had a true friendship before now, so he tried to tell himself his... affection was just part of it, and that he wouldn't know how much you automatically care for your friends because his old friends were jerks. For all he knew, it could be what he was feeling now. Maybe it was normal to look forward to sleeping with him every night and wish you could hold him tight... somehow, he didn't think so. Draco would mentally slap himself every time these thoughts would creep into his mind. If the slaps had been physical, Draco would've had a lot of bruises by now. 

"Hey Draco, look what Fred and George have made," Harry said. 

"Hm? Oh, yes, very nice," Draco said absentmindedly, watching Fred eat a purple candy, apparently a cure for his nose, which was bleeding like crazy. 

"You alright? You seem a bit distracted," Harry said. 

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," Draco said. 

He was thinking. Thinking about how black Harry's hair was. How messy it was. How he would love to try and make it lie flat... no. Nope. He wasn't going to imagine that. He blinked and shook his head a tiny bit. 

"Hey guys, do you taste this? This pumpkin juice tastes weird..." Harry said. 

"Mine tastes normal," Ron said skeptically. 

"Mine too," Hermione said. 

"Hm... maybe it's just me, then," Harry said, taking a large swig from his goblet. 

"Well, Ron and I better get going," Hermione said. 

"For what? I didn't think your class started for another twenty minutes," Harry said. 

Hermione blushed furiously, and Ron's face nearly matched his hair. "Well it never hurts to be early," she said breathlessly. "You two should be off too."

Harry looked at Draco. "What's our next class? Transfiguration?"

Draco nodded and he and Harry stood up.

Harry swayed a bit. 

"You okay?" Draco said. 

"Um... y-yeah..."

"Harry, you really don't look well," Draco said nervously. He helped Harry walk out of the Great Hall. He began to walk faster until they reached the Room of Requirement. 

Draco sat Harry down on a bed. Harry was staring weirdly and swaying back and forth, as though trying not to fall off the bed. 

"Harry?" Draco said cautiously. "How are you feeling?"

Harry opened his mouth to speak but instead a surge of vomit came out. 

Draco leapt backwards, almost letting go of Harry's clammy hand. "You need help," he said. "Uh... where's your owl?" 

"Owlry, probably," Harry managed to say. 

"That's too far..." Draco couldn't figure out how to get help if Harry was obviously not well enough to go anywhere. This was proved when Harry fell off the bed with a thump. "Harry? Harry!" He wasn't moving. 

Draco slid off the bed and examined him. "Harry?... oh my God, he's not breathing!"

Draco pressed his ear against Harry's chest. His heartbeat was getting slower and slower. 

"No, Harry... the pumpkin juice... poison?! Harry!"

Draco leaned over him, hardly believing that Harry could be dying. "No," he murmured. "How...? No..." he felt a burning in his throat as he tried to swallow the large lump that was forming. How was this happening? So suddenly... and who on earth would try to poison Harry Potter? Draco pressed his ear to Harry's heart again. The beat was barely there, whilst Draco's was about to pop out of his chest. 

The waterworks started and Draco gasped for breath as he struggled to find something, anything, that could help, as he lay there hugging Harry's still body. And then... lying just feet away, it couldn't have been there a moment ago... a small stone... a bezoar. Draco remembered that it healed most poisons. He grabbed it and shoved it into Harry's mouth. "Come on... swallow it..."

Suddenly Harry's eyes snapped open and he started coughing. 

"HARRY! Oh my God! I... I thought you were..."

Harry blinked and looked around, apparently confused. He looked positively bewildered at Draco's tear-streaked face. 

"What's wrong?" He said. 

"What's- what's wrong? Harry, you can't bloody ask me what's wrong when you just... What's wrong with _you_?" 

"I don't know," Harry said. "I just woke up like this. Why am I on the ground?"

"You were sick... poisoned I think... you fell off the bed and you... Harry..."

"Draco! What-?" Harry looked, if possible, even more surprised when Draco hugged him so tight he nearly crushed him. 

Draco began to cry again. "Harry... I thought you... I thought you died... scariest thing I've ever seen..."

"I almost died?" Said Harry blankly.

"Yes... and then there was this bezoar that just appeared, and it saved you..."

"Must've been the Room of Requirement's work," Harry said. "Good thing we were in here."

"Yeah... good thing..." Draco's throat became tight again as he imagined what would have happened had they not been in a magical room that supplies one's needs. 

"Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey so we can get you cleaned up," Draco said. 

"And you," Harry said. "You're shaking more than I am."

* * *

It was official. Draco cared about Harry a lot, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just as a friend. Ever since his not-so-mild freak out when Harry was poisoned, Draco had been really protective over Harry. For the first time, he was very grateful that he was bound to Harry. It have him an excuse to go with him everywhere and see to it that nothing else like that happened. On the other hand, he was extremely embarrassed for over reacting. Harry insisted that he wasn't over reacting, and that he was the same way when he had seen Cedric die last year, but Draco didn't really believe him. Yes, he had seen Harry like that last year, but that was probably not because of Cedric dying. It was because he had just faced Lord Voldemort. And also, Cedric was already dead and there was nothing he could've done. Draco, however, instead of staying calm and finding a way to save Harry, had freaked out and didn't see the bezoar until Harry was almost gone. Draco started having dreams. Nightmares. Just like Harry had had after he had seen Cedric die and had to face the Dark Lord, except the topic was obviously different. The dreams were different every time, but one thing remained the same: it was always about Harry being near death. Draco always woke up before Harry had actually died in the dream, but he was afraid every time that it might've been real. He would wake up very abruptly every night, drenched in cold sweat, and breathing very hard. Then he would remember that it wasn't real, take deep breaths, and look over at Harry beside him for comfort. He noticed that he began clenching Harry's hand in a death grip even though their hands were already bound together when they slept. Draco was just glad that Harry never woke up. 

"Draco, seriously. You don't have to be so embarrassed, anyone else would've done the same thing," Harry was saying. 

"But considering you and I are supposed to be enemies-"

"I thought you said you didn't care. I thought you said screw it and we can be friends if we want."

"Well, we CAN be friends, but how I acted didn't seem to be how... a friend... er, acts..." Draco turned a bit pink as he realized what he was saying. "I mean- not like I acted like more than a friend, cause that would be weird, but you know, I meant as in, I seemed to be overreacting when you're just a friend..."

"Just a friend?" Harry said, his eyebrows raised. "Well what else would you be? It's not like we're dating like they say," Draco said, mentally hitting himself for bringing up dating again. 

"No, but... just the way you said it... never mind."

"Sorry..."

"No, it's okay."

It was the end of the day, and they were heading to their room. Draco was dreading the nightmares he knew would be coming. He automatically tightened his grip on Harry's hand and looked up at the bed, as though he was about to board a scary ride. 

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, noticing this. 

"Nothing... er, just tired..."

They tied their hands, got in bed, and waited for sleep. Harry always fell asleep pretty quickly. Draco, who knew what would happen if he slept, seemed to have insomnia. He snuggled a little closer to Harry, trying to remind himself that Harry was fine, he was right there against him. The two boys were both curled up in the same direction, with Draco on the outside. Draco stared at Harry's back, up to his neck, greeting his messy dark hair. He wondered... if Harry never woke up when he was writhing around having nightmares, perhaps he wouldn't wake up now... Draco cautiously moved his free hand up to Harry's hair and stroked it. He was pleased when Harry shivered and made a little cooing noise in his sleep. If only he could be like this when he was awake... but obviously, Harry would never like him back. Draco fought the temptation to wrap his arms around Harry to sleep better. He knew from experience that THAT would wake him up. He just stared, fighting with all his might not to grab Harry and smash their lips together. He still felt very guilty for his feelings. He knew his father would not like it at all. And what about Harry? They were bound together, they couldn't help it, but the most they could do was not make it awkward. Which is exactly what it would be for the rest of their lives if Draco lost all dignity right now. He closed his eyes regretfully, and tried to think of how safe Harry was right beside him, and waited for sleep to take him. 


	6. Chapter Six

Harry wasn't safe. He just wasn't. Draco didn't know how he knew this, but he knew. He was quick-walking down a dark corridor, trying to get to Harry, he had to save him. The Dark Lord was back. And Harry was his target. Draco didn't know where Harry was, but he had to find him. There were many doors along the corridor he was walking down. He looked at each of them, straining his ears for any sign of Harry. And then he heard it. A loud, shrill scream. "Harry," Draco muttered. 

The screaming continued, and Draco thought he could even hear sobbing underneath it all. 

He followed the voice, and as it drew nearer, he spotted the door it seemed to be around. 

He pressed his ear against the door, and sure enough, heard the screaming louder and closer than ever. 

"No, no, please don't, not again-"

"CRUCIO!"

Draco burst into the room to find Harry on the ground, writhing and screaming in agony,

Lord Voldemort standing over him. 

"NO!" Draco pulled out his wand and shot something at the Dark Lord. It worked. He was distracted and the spell stopped, leaving Harry crumpled on the ground. Draco rushed over to him. 

"Harry! It's okay, you're okay, I'm here..."

"Step aside," a quiet, hissing voice said. 

Voldemort was back, his pale face leering at the two boys. 

"No," Draco said. "I won't. I'll protect him forever."

But Voldemort merely laughed. 

"Draco. I thought you would be useful. But I was wrong." He drew his wand and pointed it past Draco at Harry. 

"NO!" Draco screamed. 

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" 

A flash of green light struck the dark room, Voldemort was laughing, Draco was yelling, and Harry was limp in his arms-

 

"Draco? Draco!" 

Somebody was nudging him. 

Draco opened his eyes. Harry was leaning over him, looking concerned. 

Draco was breathing very hard, and he felt wet and cold. He sat up as he remembered where he was. Shit. Harry had woken up. 

"Draco? Were you having a bad dream or something?"

"Er, no, I'm just fine," Draco said, knowing Harry wouldn't buy it. 

"Come off it, you can tell me," Harry said. "I won't laugh."

Draco smiled weakly. "You're sweet. But no, I think I'll keep it to myself. You- you're alright, aren't you?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry said. 

"I don't know... just, ever since you got poisoned..."

"Are you worried about me?" Harry said, smiling. 

Draco blushed a little. "Well... of course I am! You're-you're my friend, and... you-you know... I don't want something like that to happen to you again," he mumbled. 

This time Harry turned a bit pink. "Thanks, Draco."

The two sat there for a few moments more, in awkward silence. 

"I've been having nightmares almost every night since it happened," Draco said finally, avoiding Harry's gaze.  

"You just never woke up before. And they're all different in the beginning, but they always end the same..."

He swallowed. "It always ends with you... being about to die."

Harry's face turned even redder. 

"A year ago, that wouldn't have been a nightmare for you," he said.

Both boys were red in the face at the moment. 

Then Harry smiled. "I'm glad that we're well past that," he said. "It's proof that we're officially friends."

Draco smiled a little. One part of him felt grateful that they had come this far; another was hurt that they were only friends. 

"Let's go back to bed, okay?" Harry said. 

"Okay," Draco said.

He noticed that Harry's hand was red because he had been holding it so tightly. 

They lay back down in the bed, their eyes still open. Harry could hear Draco's sharp breaths and knew he was still afraid. He slowly put his arms around Draco, so that he could tell that he, Harry, was alright, was safe, as long as they were here. 

Draco's heart fluttered as he felt Harry embrace him. He closed his eyes, smiling, feeling light as air, and allowed himself to fantasize about Harry until he fell asleep. And when he did, the nightmares had vanished. 

\---------------------------------------------------

The next morning at breakfast, Harry and Draco sat at the Gryffindor table as usual. 

"...And I whacked that Quaffle out of the way, and that ONE save won us the game!" Ron was saying. "Mmhm," Harry was saying, a bit absentminded to Ron's bragging. 

"Ron, stop going on about your 'amazing' Quidditch abilities when Harry has won tons more games than you have," Ron's sister Ginny said, sitting down across from Harry. 

Harry blushed a little. "Don't ruin his fun," he said for only Ginny to hear. 

"It's my job to keep him from getting too conceited," she mouthed back. 

Harry laughed. He noticed how long Ginny's hair was... how red it was... and somewhere, there was a nice flowery scent in the air, only extracted when Ginny had left. 

"Do you smell that?" He said to Draco, who had quite suddenly become very grouchy.

"What? Air?"

"No, it's like... lilies... or roses... or something nice..."

Draco pouted again. He knew exactly what Harry was talking about. 

"Well, I need to get to class. See you around, Harry," Ginny said, waving and walking away. Sure enough, the fragrance floated away with her. Harry looked after her, and Draco was disgusted to see a look of longing in his eyes. 

"Come on, Harry," he said, his teeth gritted. 

"One minute," Harry said, dragging Draco after Ginny. 

"Ginny! Can I ask you something?"

Here it went.

Ginny turned, her vibrant hair whipping around. "Yeah?"

"Will you... will you go out with me?"

Draco cringed hard. What was he, a ghost?

Ginny grinned, but then her smile faltered. "Harry," she whispered. "What about... _him_?"

Draco looked away and gave a wall his darkest wishes. 

Harry frowned. "Hm... I don't know... I guess he'd have to tag along..."

Ginny looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well... I guess so," she said. 

"Brilliant," Harry said, brightening. "Bye, then."

Ginny walked away and he stared after her. Once she was gone, Draco rounded on Harry. 

"You just plan a date with me thrown in the mix?!"

"Well, how else am I supposed to have any life, if I can't date anybody without YOU?" Harry said angrily. 

"Just be single! Or you could date-" Draco didn't finish his sentence. He almost said 'me'.

"What if I don't want to? You think I like having to drag you along for a date?"

"No, you don't have a choice!"

"Exactly!"

They stood there, breathing harshly and staring at each other. 

"When are we going?" Draco asked. 

"I don't know, this Saturday?" Harry guessed. "Now come on, help me pick something to wear."

Draco scowled; like he wanted to help the prick find something to wear on his _date_. He hated Harry a lot. What did he _see_ in Weaslette? She was... a ginger. Nobody likes gingers. And she was his best friend's sister. Gross. AND she was a Weasley. Even more gross. Draco was such a better option... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have nothing against gingers.


	7. Chapter Seven

Draco was in a very bad mood for the rest of the week, and even more so on Saturday. He and Harry were eating breakfast, Harry eating normally and Draco stabbing his fork unnecessarily hard into his hotcakes. Harry and Ginny had decided that they could just watch a movie and have dinner, so they could include Draco. Draco knew that if he saw Harry as only a friend, he wouldn't be seething with anger right now. Honestly, he was so much better than Weaselette. He thought about all his better qualities all throughout school, wondering what Ginny had (that was a good thing) that he didn't. In Potions, he was supposed to be crushing his beetle so that it was flat, but he had absentmindedly already mashed it to a fine powder.  Later, he put his foot on Harry's as Harry put on the shirt they had picked out; a nice, green button up. 

"You could put something nice on too," Harry said, eyeing Draco's baggy t-shirt and jeans skeptically. 

"It's your date, not mine," Draco said. He had dressed like this on purpose; he wanted to send the message that this was to be very casual and as little like a date as possible. 

Harry shrugged, and then straightened his glasses. "Well, how do I look?" 

Draco surveyed him. Harry looked very nice... even more handsome than usual. 

"Acceptable," Draco said. "Besides your hair."

"Well, even an acceptable is pretty high for your standards," Harry said. "And I can't ever do anything about my hair. Let's go."

Draco let out a long sigh and walked with Harry out of the Room of Requirement. "Where exactly are we going?" He wondered aloud. 

"The trophy room," Harry replied. "Ginny's meeting me there."

"I didn't even think they had television at Hogwarts," Draco sneered. 

"It's called magic, Draco," said Harry rather wearily. 

"What are we watching? Will there be food?"

"Draco, this is for me and Ginny. The only reason you're here is because you have to be."

Draco fell silent. Ouch. 

                                 -----------

Draco pouted as far apart as he could get from Harry and Ginny. Ginny kept brushing away stray pieces of Harry's hair, which made him all blushy. Normally Draco would've thought it was cute, but only if  __ _he_ had been the one playing with his hair. 

"I'll be right back, Gin, I'm going to... transfigure something to eat," Harry said. 

He got up, dragging Draco to the opposite side of the room and behind a large trophy case. 

"What's the matter with you?" Harry said.

"What do you mean?" Draco huffed. 

"I mean you're acting like a git. Why are you so grumpy?"

"Maybe because I don't want to get dragged on dates!"

"I have a life too, you know!"

"So do I!"

They stood in silence for a second before Harry said, "Give me that wristband."

"Why?" Draco said in surprise. 

"Because I told Ginny I was transfiguring something to eat," Harry said, taking the wristband as Draco fumbled to get it off. Harry said a quick spell, making the bracelet turn into a pack of crackers, and walked off, Draco being pulled behind him, realizing in the back of his mind that Harry was about to eat his wristband. 

Harry sat down next to Ginny, and put his arm around her, as she lay her head on his shoulder.

Draco growled like an angry dog, glaring with all his might at the couple, who were too busy looking at each other to notice. 

In fact, their faces were a bit too close for Draco's liking. Their lips were inches apart when Draco tickled Harry's foot, making Harry laugh and bump forward, knocking Ginny's face backwards. 

"Sorry, Gin," he said before turning and giving Draco a death look. "Cut it out," he mouthed. 

"Only if you do," Draco formed back. 

Harry gave him a confused look that said 'what did I do?' before turning back to Ginny. 

"I'm sorry that he's such a nuisance," Draco heard Harry say. 

Draco gave a harsh outtake of breath through his nose. 

"Now, where were we...?"

Draco watched in horror as Harry's and Ginny's lips met and moved together, ignoring him completely. 

"NO!" He yelled. He abruptly stood up, yanking Harry away from Ginny, and planted himself down right in between the two. 

"Draco!" Harry said at the same time as Ginny said "Malfoy!"

"No snogging!" Draco said. 

"You can't tell us what to do!" Harry said. 

"No. Snogging," Draco said firmly, his arms crossed like a child. 

Harry sighed. "Ginny, what'dya say we just call it a night?"

Ginny nodded understandingly. 

Harry smiled at her, then took Draco's arm and briskly walked out of the trophy room. They did not speak until they had reached the Room of Requirement. 

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you?!" Harry yelled finally. "You ruined everything!"

"Well, not many people will just act all well and dandy when they're dragged along on dates without being asked," Draco said crossly. 

"Did you see how uncomfortable Ginny looked?" Harry said. "Do you think we  _wanted_ you there? Well, we didn't."

"Trust me, you made it perfectly clear!"

"Why do we have to have this stupid bond thing anyway?!" Harry said angrily. 

"How should I know?! I didn't ask for it!" Draco yelled back. 

"Neither did I! And now neither of us can have normal lives!" Harry said, stopping to catch his breath. "I wish I had never been bound to you! You mess everything up! I... I hate you!"

"My life got ruined when I was bound to you! But then I started to like you, for some reason, so I LOVE YOU TOO!" Draco said. He froze. So did Harry. 

"What?" Harry whispered. 

Draco was unable to answer. He was paralyzed. He had just revealed his deepest secret. 

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a terrified squeak. 

He and Harry just stared at each other for what seemed like forever. 

"What- what do you mean, you... love me?" Said Harry finally. 

Draco looked at the floor. "I... I don't know..."

They were silent for a few more minutes. 

"Let's go to bed," said Harry. 

Draco nodded. They climbed into bed, facing away from each other, thinking so hard about the night's events that neither of them got to sleep for a very long time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know technology goes wild at Hogwarts and they can't have it there, but whatevs.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as embarrassing as this is, my parents have banned me from the internet because my morality has supposedly gone down (Translation: I act and talk like a teenager), but I've had to have internet access because I do online school, and usually my parents forget to turn it off, so I've been able to update for you guys via incognito mode (*~*)
> 
> However, for me, the end of the school year is coming up very quickly. When I don't have school anymore, I guess I won't have any need for the internet, so I'm not sure if I'll still be able to update then. I really hope I'll still be able to because my mom said something about getting us Chromebooks so she can monitor everything or whatever, and I'll have to research how it works and what she can see before I try anything, but if I can I'll update with that. If not, I'm very sorry (I know everyone hates when they read a story that isn't finished and the last update was years ago), and hopefully I can get back soon! The good thing is, this chapter was where the story originally ended, before the readers on where I first posted it wanted me to write more. There is more of the story, but if I can't update, at least it isn't on a cliffhanger or anything XD

The next morning was the most awkward they had ever encountered, and they had had a lot of awkward mornings since they had been made to live together. For once, Draco did not have to try to look away from Harry. He couldn't face him anyway. They hardly talked all day, and the rest of the students noticed. 

"Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione asked gently at lunch. Ron too was looking at him concernedly. 

"Yeah," Harry said. "Just thinking. Alot."

"What about, mate?" Ron said. 

"Ron, he obviously doesn't want to tell us," Hermione said, shooting him a look. 

Harry didn't say anything. He really didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to be alone, to think all day, but he couldn't, not without Draco at least. And Draco was the very person Harry wanted to get away from. 

What did it all mean? 

_"I LOVE YOU TOO!"_

The words rang in his mind over and over as he tried to analyze what they meant. He couldn't mean he actually loved him, could he? Maybe he had just meant as friends. This would've been an accurate excuse, but Draco's reaction afterward destroyed that idea. If it had been in a friendly way, Draco would've said so after Harry obviously took it a different way. 

But he _must've_ meant... as more. 

The blush in Draco cheeks... the terrified expression on his face... his lack of words...

It said it all. Harry  _did_ know what it meant. 

He just couldn't get it through his brain. 

Draco... hated him. Or he had. How on earth could he all of a sudden... it had only been... Harry wasn't even that _likeable_ , how... why... 

He remembered how their relationship had improved over the past few weeks. He remembered when he had started becoming friends with Draco by defending him from Blaise, and when Draco had had that dream about kissing him, and when he was sick, Draco cared for him. 

_"Draco, do you like me?"_

_"What?! No, of course not!"_

And when Harry got poisoned, Draco certainly reacted differently than he would've if they were still enemies. And then Draco had actually said that he was worried about Harry getting hurt again when he had been caught having a nightmare. 

Harry's heart half sank and half rose in realization. Draco really did love him. Harry really didn't know what to think of it. His first thought was 'do you like him back?'

But he really couldn't answer that. 

He... didn't know how he felt towards Draco. He didn't have a name for it. He tried to ask himself questions like 'do you want too kiss him?' But all the answers were uncertain.

He just didn't know. 

An unsettling thought crossed Harry's mind, but he knew it was true.

It was the fact that there was only one way to find out what his feelings were.

* * *

"...Harry?"

Draco was waving a hand in front of Harry. 

"W-what?" Harry said, jerking out of his daze. 

"I'm... sorry about... what I said. I didn't mean to... freak you out," Draco said, who looked like every word was killing him. "I don't want it to be awkward between us."

 _You just expect it to be completely normal again, after you tell me you love me?_  Harry thought. 

"Yeah... Er... I'm sorry I was so on edge. But I need some time to process this," Harry said, turning back to his steak.

Draco knew this meant the conversation was over. He sighed softly, and turned back to his own dinner, which he picked at wistfully. This is exactly why he had planned to never tell Harry as long as he lived. He knew this would happen. Having to be with Harry all the time meant he couldn't hide, he couldn't avoid him, he couldn't have any damn time to himself, he just had to live in pain every day. He stared at his plate hard. It broke. 

"Woah!" Harry said, jumping at the sudden shattering noise. 

"Sorry," Draco muttered, pulling out his wand and using 'Reparo'. He sighed. That just went to show how much he was keeping inside. 

"I'm tired. Can we go back to our room?" He said. 

"I suppose," Harry said, eating one more bite of his food before getting up. Once they were in their room, Draco got dressed and lay in bed, his arm strained uncomfortably over the bed where Harry was sitting on the floor. He wanted to escape from life. He silently begged to fall asleep before he exploded with undignified emotion. 

"Draco?" He heard Harry say. 

He didn't answer, pretending to be asleep. He snored quietly so Harry thought he was asleep and not just ignoring him.  

Draco heard Harry sigh. "I don't know how I feel for you," Harry said. "I'm trying to figure it out."

Draco's heart stopped for a minute. Did that mean he still had a chance?

"I wish I liked you back. I really do," Harry continued, "but I just don't know."

Draco's heart sank again. Who was he kidding? Harry wasn't ever going to like him. It was ridiculous of him to think so. After everything he had done to Harry, and he just expected him to like him all of a sudden? He was an idiot. The sad truth sunk in, and Draco's eyes welled up with tears that he refused to shed. 

Unfortunately, the lump in his throat caused him to gasp.

He could feel Harry's eyes on his back. "Draco?" He said. "...You're awake, aren't you?"

Draco sniffed in reply, trying to keep his running nose from dripping. 

Harry sighed again. "I'm really, really sorry. I know how much this must hurt you." He squeezed Draco's hand a little. Draco immediately felt a surge of anger. 

"Who are you to comfort me when  _you're_ the cause of it all?!" He said, sitting up and facing Harry. " 'I know how much this must hurt you'!  _You're_ the one hurting me!" His voice shook with the last sentence and another sob issued from his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, trying with all his might not to lose control. 

"I'm really sorry," Harry said sympathetically. 

"Sure you are! You act as if you can't do anything about it!" Draco yelled, angrily swiping away a stray tear. 

"What do you expect me to do? Fake it?"

Draco fell silent. He didn't know what he wanted Harry to do about it, because he knew there wasn't anything to do. You couldn't make someone feel something. 

"Look, I've told you, I don't know yet," Harry said. "Maybe... maybe it just hasn't been as clear to me."

Harry sat next to Draco on the bed. 

"Mind if I try an experiment?" 

"What do you mean?" Draco said.

"I'll show you," Harry said, and he pressed his lips to Draco's. Draco's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Harry was kissing him, and it was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced. It was even better than he had imagined. Eventually Draco closed his eyes and moved his lips slowly against Harry's, and his heart fluttered when he felt Harry's tongue slide against his lips. He allowed him to enter his mouth and felt Harry's tongue touch his. He felt something else too, and noticed that Harry's hands were kneading gently into his shoulders as his tongue massaged Draco's lips. 

Harry was kissing him. Draco felt like he was going to melt into a pile of mush right there, but he stopped himself, even though Harry was making his legs rather weak. Finally his legs gave in and they stumbled to the bed, which broke them apart. They lay there gasping, and Draco looked at Harry expectantly. 

"Draco," Harry said, as Draco held his breath. 

"That was.. Well, I think I've made my decision."

Draco chewed his lip. He _knew_ it woasn't going to be the answer he wanted it to be. "Wh-what does that mean?"

"It means I... I think I love you too."

Draco's breath was still held; he didn't really know how to be relieved after being so worried. He didn't even know if he believed it.

Harry chuckled. "You seem a bit tense. Let me help you." And he connected their lips again.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, still have restricted internet and now I've finished all my exams and lessons for my online school, so my mom probably won't turn the internet back on. BUT! Being the sneaky bitch I am, I have paid for a month of WiFi with Xfinity, so boom. I'll always have a backup plan of course, if my mom asks why I'm spending so much time on the computer. I'll just tell her I'm writing, she knows I like to write, and I can do that without internet since I have Microsoft word. I'll probably be on late at night more often too, because then I can just turn my light off around ten or eleven or so and my parents will think I'm going to bed and they won't bother me. I've been a sneaky little shit my entire life and they hardly ever noticed because I'm such a sneaky little shit. So heheheheheh.

"Harry?" Draco said questioningly after classes the next day. 

"Mm?" Harry said absentmindedly, flipping through his copy of "Quidditch Through the Ages" for the tenth time. 

"What do you think everyone will think about us being... You know, together for real this time?" Draco said in a small voice.

"I don't think they'd really be all that surprised," Harry said unconcernedly. "I mean, now we're just what they thought we were in the first place."

"Y—yeah, but... Then they learned it wasn't true, and now it is true," Draco pressed.

"Draco, relax," Harry said, finally looking up from his book to face the other boy. "Why are you so worried about this?"

"Because, Harry," Draco said back, a flicker of stressed irritation in his voice, "I actually care about my reputation around my friends!"

"You don't have any real friends," Harry reminded him. "They're all jerks."

"That's mean," Draco pouted.

"Yeah, maybe, but it's true," Harry said. "And you know it. Anyway, it'll be fine. We don't have to tell everyone right away if you don't want to, but I really don't think it'll be as bad as you're going on about."

"You aren't the least bit concerned what Weasley and Granger will think?" Draco said.

"You can call them Ron and Hermione, Draco, and no, not really. Even if they're a little surprised at first, they'll come around."

"If you say so," Draco muttered, propping himself up with his elbows.

 

"Seriously, so if Weas—if Ron and Hermione found out right now, by accident, you wouldn't be at all—"

"Draco, would you drop it?" Harry said tiredly, lying in their bed and closing his eyes to escape from Draco's words. 

Draco was sitting up next to him. "No, it doesn't make any sense to me," he said. "Even if you had no warning and they just walked in on us snogging one day or somethi—ow!"

Harry had squeezed his hand extremely tightly to shut him up. "You're really annoying sometimes, you know that?" He said, glancing up at him.

"Well, you're really... weird," Draco said.

Harry grinned and sat up. "You're weirder."

"You're weirdest! Ha!" Draco said triumphantly, crossing his arms.

"You're weirder than weirdest!" Harry pounced on him playfully and he squealed. "Get off me, Potter!"

"No," Harry grinned, pinning him against the bed. 

Harry bent down and kissed his neck, causing Draco to giggle from the tickle it caused. Draco struggled against him, trying to get up, but Harry wouldn't let him go. "Harryyyyy," Draco whined, a smile playing at his lips. 

Harry only grinned back at him and roughly snuggled into his neck, making Draco laugh again. Draco kicked his legs, trying to relieve himself of Harry's weight on top of him, but still, Harry stayed pressed against him. Harry kissed Draco's shoulder from where he was cuddled against him, and Draco smiled. 

"HOLY SHIT ARE THEY ACTUALLY F—"

Harry jerked away from Draco at the sound of another voice in the room. He turned to see Ron and Hermione, standing awestruck in front of the door. Ron's eyes were popping; Hermione looked like she was trying to analyze the situation and make some sense of it.

"It's not what it looks like!" Harry said immediately.

"Oh really?" Ron said breathlessly, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"No!" Harry said. "We weren't—we were just—"

"What were you doing?" Ron said, looking like he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"We were... We were just messing around..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ron muttered. 

"Not like that! Our—our clothes are still completely on, see?" Harry said.

"It's... It's okay, Harry," Hermione said. "If you and Malfoy are... Er..."

"We're..." Harry wasn't sure what to say. Draco couldn't help smirking and giving him an "I told you so" look. Harry glared at him, and decided to just tell them the truth.

"Yeah, me and Draco... We sort of came together the other day," Harry said.

"S—so you WERE—"

"No!" Harry said quickly. "But we are... Together, now, sort of... How did you guys even get in here?"

"You weren't at dinner, so we got worried and started looking for you," Hermione said. 

"And the room let you in?" Harry said. 

"Yes... I suppose we were so worried we "needed" to find you..."

Harry nodded at the floor, and a silence followed.

"When did this happen?" Ron said after a few seconds. "I mean... You guys couldn't help the bond thing, but now this..."

"Ron," Hermione said, a warning in her voice. "Leave it alone. It's their buisness." 

Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Hermione for understanding. "You don't... Need to tell everyone yet," he said. 

They nodded. "We'll just... Let you get back to... Whatever you were doing," Ron said, his voice still lined with suspicion. He and Hermione turned and went back through the door, leaving the room.

Draco finally let out the snort of laughter he had been holding in. "I told you!" He said gleefully. "I knew you'd care if it actually happened!"

"Well, I didn't think it would actually happen," Harry muttered crossly, which only made Draco laugh harder.

 

Ron treated Harry and Draco differently after that. He seemed to be trying to act normal, but it was obvious that he was interpreting everything Harry and Draco did that could contribute to their relationship, as if trying to find evidence. Draco wouldn't have minded much, except that Ron's weirdness about their relationship made Harry weird about it, too. Harry seemed to feel awkward and embarrassed about him and Draco when Ron was around, making Draco feel more disdain toward Ron than he ever had before. 

One Saturday Harry and Draco were sitting at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, Ron and Hermione beside them. Draco was picking at his sausages absentmindedly, focusing more on the interaction between the other three. 

"So, er... I've noticed you've been getting pretty good at Potions, Harry," Hermione said awkwardly. 

"Yeah... S'all because of Draco," Harry said, giving him a fond smile. 

Draco noticed that Ron had tensed at this. Conversation had been like this at every meal ever since Ron and Hermione had found out about them, and each time Draco felt that he would die from the awkwardness. He was just thinking that maybe he would convince Harry to eat somewhere else next time when Harry said "these pancakes taste interesting."

Draco stared at him for about a second before knocking the fork out of his hand. "Harry!" He exclaimed. "Don't eat things that taste weird!"

"I... I already did," Harry said sheepishly.

"Well, don't eat any more!" Draco said, dragging him up from the table. 

"Mal—Draco, I doubt this is the same thing that happened last time," Hermione said.

"How do you know?" Draco said incredulously.

"Well, think about it. What are the odds that a mistake like that would happen again? And if someone put something dangerous in there on purpose, why would they use the same trick twice?"

Draco was about to argue back when Harry fell face-first into the table. He paused to give Hermione a sassy "I told you so" look before lifting Harry up and rushing off as quickly as he could, which wasn't very fast because Harry was heavier than he had expected.

Ron and Hermione jumped up to help him. "Madam Pomfrey's?" Ron said.

"I suppose... Will we get there in time?" Draco replied.

"It's not far from here," Hermione said. "If we hurry..."

They were already awkwardly run-walking as best they could with Harry in their arms, but they tried to quicken their pace, worry weighing down on all three of them. Finally they saw the hospital wing up ahead, but Hermione was looking down at Harry. "He's... He's not breathing," she said quietly. 

Draco's eyes snapped downward to Harry's chest, which seemed to be still. This was it.

There was no Room of Requirement this time.

"Harry?" Draco said in a choked voice. No. He would not lose control this time. He forced his legs onward into the hospital wing, calling desperately for Madam Pomfrey as he entered.


	10. Chapter Ten

"He'll be alright."

That was all Draco had wanted to hear. He breathed again for the first time in what felt like hours as Madam Pomfrey straightened up from tending to Harry. Hermione and Ron were beside him, also looking extremely relieved. Draco felt, for the first time, a stronger connection between himself and Harry's best friends. They all had just shown how much they cared about Harry, which he supposed was the one thing they had in common. 

"Who could possibly do this?" Hermione was saying. 

"I don't know, maybe You-Know-Who or one of his minions?" Ron said in mock confusion.

"But how are they here? Which one is it? How are they doing this?"

"She's right," Draco murmured. "We need to figure this out before Harry gets hurt again and no one is around to save him."

 

Hermione was pacing back and forth in front of Ron and Draco, who were sitting down. 

"What new teachers are there this year, any?" Ron asked.

"The only one I don't remember seeing before is that tall woman that sits at the end of the teachers' table, but I don't even know what she teaches," Hermione murmured. 

"Professor Anglia, I know her," Draco piped up. She's not an actual teacher, she's an assistant."

"Well, that would explain why I've seen her popping in and out of classes," Hermione said. "What have you noticed about her?"

"Oh, I've known her nearly my entire life. Family friend. She actually tried to convince my parents to stop the death eater stuff, but they've cut off ties with her since then."

"Hm," Hermione noted. "Is she the primary assistant of someone here, or does she just assist everyone?"

"Mostly I see her with Snape, but I've seen her checking in with everyone else."

"Maybe Professor Snape would know something," Hermione muttered.

"Hermione, you can't seriously be thinking—" Ron began.

"Ron, this is Harry we're thinking of. His safety depends on finding out who is trying to poison him!" Hermione said.

"Why can't we just tell Dumbledore?" Ron said.

"We should tell Dumbledore, but if it's one of the teachers, that he himself hired in the first place... Well, that wouldn't look so good for him, would it?" 

"Come off it, Hermione, Dumbledore can handle his own reputation," Ron said.

"Not around the ministry, he can't!" Hermione exclaimed. "If the ministry heard about this, he could get into a lot of trouble! They'd find a way to blame him for it, I know they would..."

"Well, we can't just go and "ask Snape" anything, you know he wouldn't take us seriously," Ron said. Suddenly, he looked at Draco, Hermione following suite.

"Me? You want me to talk to him?" Draco said.

"Well, you're his favorite student, so, er, yeah, we want you to talk to him," Ron said.

"I... really, I've known Emory Anglia for years. She wouldn't have anything to do with this. Her morals were so much different than my parents', that's why they stopped being friends with her."

"Yes, but Snape is the potions master," Hermione said. "He'd be the best to talk to about something poison-related."

"When Harry wakes up, you can take him with you to Snape's office and ask him about it," Ron said. 

Draco sighed and nodded, looking over at Harry, a worried look in his eyes. "Alright."

 

"Harry? When you're fully awake, we have to go see Professor Snape," Draco murmured to a half-asleep Harry.

Harry groaned and stretched. "Why?" He said groggily, reaching for his glasses.

"We have to talk to him about this poison thing that's been going on," Draco said. "It can't be a mistake. Someone's doing it on purpose."

"Who's to say Snape's not the one doing it," Harry muttered under his breath. 

"Harry, he wouldn't do that. Are you awake now?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Harry said, yawning and getting out of the hospital wing bed.

"Madam Pomfrey said you could leave in the morning, she already gave you something for the poison. Anyway, we need to find out who's doing this."

"It's probably just some Death Eater or something."

"How do you sound so calm about this?" Draco said, stopping to look at him.

"Because they've already tried twice and they failed both times, because I had you to save me," Harry said, smiling at him. 

"Damn you, stop being so sweet," Draco said, a smile threatening to cover his seriousness. They had reached Snape's office. Draco knocked on the door, and opened it when he heard a deep voice say "enter".

He stepped into the dim office, where Professor Snape was staring expectantly at them. 

"Sir, we needed to talk to you about something," Draco said. 

Snape raised his eyebrows at him. "Yes?"

Draco looked at Harry, and Harry looked at Draco, telling him with his eyes to keep going.

"Well... Harry's been poisoned twice this year and we don't think it's a mistake," Draco said awkwardly.

Snape gave him a strange look. "I do not have time for your disturbances, Mr. Malfoy, unless you have a valid and understandable point."

"I mean, someone put something in his juice earlier this year and he almost died! And then just yesterday, someone did something to his pancakes, and he almost died again!"

"How unfortunate. Your point?" Snape said, seemingly unfazed by this news.

"Sir, this is serious, I'm not lying. We thought you might be able to help figure this out..."

"Without a sample of the poison, there is little I can do," Snape said simply.

"I might be able to find a sample," said a female voice from the shadows of Snape's office.

Harry jumped as a witch he had never seen before in his life emerged from the darkest corner of the office. 

"Professor Anglia, where did you come from?" Draco said in surprise.

Professor Anglia gave a chortle that sent shivers down Harry's spine for some reason. She was a tall, thin woman, in her early thirties, it looked like, with wavy brown hair tied up in a loose bun. On the outside she looked fairly normal, but her laugh was a bit unsettling for some reason, and her eyes glowed with mischief. "Oh Draco, you know I have a habit of popping up out of nowhere sometimes."

"What is it, Emory?" Snape said in a bored voice, turning to her.

"I said I might be able to find a sample of the poison. All Mr. Potter here has to do is show me where he was sitting when the event took place, and I'll be able to go down to the kitchens and ask the house elves about it," Professor Anglia said.

"Right," Harry said. He realized he had never introduced himself, and yet she knew his name. It wasn't as though it were too abnormal, though. He had noticed when her eyes flickered upward to the scar in his forehead when she looked at him.

"Good. Come on, then," Professor Anglia said, ushering them out of Snape's office.

As they led her to the Great Hall, Harry found that he wasn't sure where exactly he sat. Usually he just sat wherever Ron and Hermione did. "Er... Maybe around here?" He said uncertainly as they reached the middle of the Gryffindor table. 

"Seats 45-60, got it," Professor Anglia said. "I don't know how long it will take for the house elves to find and test your pancakes, so you may go. I'll alert Severus if I find anything." She walked away, leaving Harry and Draco behind.

"Does she seem a little..." Harry trailed off. He didn't know how to describe Professor Anglia.

"You get used to her," Draco chuckled. "She's pretty nice, if not a little... intrusive sometimes. She almost reminds me of..."

"Of who?" Harry pressed.

"...Never mind," Draco said. "Let's go back to our room."


	11. Chapter Eleven

Harry and Draco went back to the Room of Requirement, and automatically went to sit on a couch that was there to wait until they heard news from Professor Anglia. Draco buried his face into Harry's shoulder and Harry gave him a weird look. "What are you doing?"

"You keep almost getting killed," Draco said, his voice muffled.

"It's fine, we'll find out who it is soon, probably, and deal with them."

"I'm worried about you."

Harry smiled, leaning his head against Draco's. "Don't be. If you worried about me every time I was in danger, you'd be having panic attacks."

Draco sighed, not lifting his head. They stayed still and quiet for a few moments before Draco lifted his head. "How long does it take to ask a house elf about pancakes?" He said irritably.

"Draco, calm down, they have to find the exact pancakes, and since I don't even know where I sat, they'll have to test more than one," Harry said. 

"Even after that, how will they find out who put it there?"

"Er... DNA test, I suppose, or however wizards would do it."

"Well, until then, you're not having any meals," Draco said.

"What?" Harry said with a laugh.

"I mean... Is there a way to make food for you myself instead of have the house elves do it?"

"Er... You want to cook for me?" Harry said. "That's really sweet, but have you ever cooked before?"

"Well... No, but how hard could it be?" Draco said confidently. 

"Well, for a first-timer... Maybe you should try baking first. Something simple, like brownies."

"You can't just eat sweets, you need your vegetables and your protein."

Harry laughed. "I'm not five!"

"How do you know so much about this anyway?" Draco said, crossing his arms.

"Because I had to cook for my aunt and uncle all the time. I just learned from experience," Harry said.

"That's kinda cute, you knowing how to cook," Draco said. "Make something for me sometime."

"I don't exactly have the tools here, and neither do you," Harry said.

"We can just ask the house elves if we can use the kitchen."

"I think they'd probably just insist to do everything for us," Harry said.

"Whatever, the point is, I'm keeping an eye on you," Draco said.

"That won't be entirely impossible," Harry said with a grin, holding up their hands for emphasis.

Draco rolled his eyes with a smile. "You know what I meant. But in all seriousness, I don't want you to get hurt again," he said, looking at Harry with frightened eyes.

"And in all seriousness, stop worrying," Harry said with a reassuring smile. "I'm okay."

"But—"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said teasingly, pressing his lips to Draco's. 

Draco tried to resist him, but eventually gave up, making Harry smirk. "This is serious, Harry..." He mumbled weakly.

"I think this is the only way to distract you from worrying," Harry said, kissing his neck. 

Draco bit his lip, Harry's lips sending shivers down his spine. "But... What if—"

"No," Harry said. "It's not as though something's going to come right here, right now, and slip some poison into my mouth."

"They could," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Not if I'm kissing you, they couldn't."

Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry didn't see. "This won't work in distracting me."

"Oh, I think it will," Harry said, his lips moving down to Draco's chest. "You know, this could even save my life."

"What?" Draco said. "How on earth do you figure that?"

"Maybe the poisoner would come in here to poison me, and see us, but they'd be so surprised that they'd run away."

Draco's mouth threatened to break into a smile, and he tried not to let it, but he ended up giving in and burst out laughing. "You dork. Come here." He pecked Harry on the lips, giving him a smile, before leaning in for more.

 

They were startled by a knock on their door. Draco got up to answer it, Harry following. They opened the door to see Professor McGonagall. 

"Potter, Professor Snape and Professor Anglia have informed me that you have been poisoned twice this semester and that they were developing tests for the poison sample they found, correct?"

"Yes, Professor," Harry said. She had a worried tone to her voice, as though she was reluctant to leave him after delivering the message.

"They have just sent me to deliver the news that the tests are finished. Professor Snape wants you in his office immediately."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Professor." 

Professor McGonagall turned to leave, but paused. "I will escort you," she added with her back still turned, before walking briskly out of the room. Harry and Draco followed Professor McGonagall out of the Room of Requirement and they began on their way to the dungeons. When they reached the Snape's office, Professor  McGonagall knocked on the door.

"Enter," said a bored voice. 

Professor McGonagall opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door for the boys. "The results, Severus?"

Snape nodded and handed Professor McGonagall a piece of parchment. He stared at her as she read it, her lips getting thinner and thinner, her eyes widening. She looked back up at Professor Snape, an astonished expression on her face. She glanced over at the boys, who were watching her horrified expression with worry. 

"Bellatrix Lestrange," she whispered, her face pale.

 

Harry and Draco were escorted back to the Room of Requirement by Professor McGonagall. "We'll sort this out," she said as the door materialized in front of them. "Just, for the love of Merlin, Potter," she said wearily, "be careful."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah, it's very obvious where this is going. I'm not the greatest at... y'know, plots. Sorry.


	12. Chapter Twelve

"I can't believe this, they must be wrong, or... I mean, how would she even get in here?" 

Draco was pacing back in forth in the Gryffindor common room. Or at least, he kept trying to; Harry pulled him back down onto the couch each time he tried to get up. He and Harry had immediately gone to Gryffindor Tower to inform Ron and Hermione on the news of the test results. 

"Well, there are loads of ways, aren't there?" Ron said. "She could've apparated here and be using an invisibility cloak, for all we know."

"You can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds," Hermione and Draco said in unison. They looked at each other for a moment, shocked, before smiling.

"Yeah, alright, I know," Ron said impatiently, glaring at the two. "But I'm just saying... I mean, Crouch's son fooled everyone into thinking he was Mad-Eye Moody, didn't he?"

"But... But they wouldn't be stupid enough to use Polyjuice again," said Hermione, who was staring into space and visibly trying to analyze the situation in her head. 

"That's exactly what you said about the poison," Draco said slowly. "You said they wouldn't be stupid enough to use the same trick twice, and they obviously were. She's not all right in the head, my aunt. She's not the cleverest at this sort of thing unless she's been ordered to do something specific..."

"Hm... actually... it's quite smart, in a way," Hermione said. "It's reverse psychology. She knows that we'll doubt the same trick happening twice, which is precisely why she did the same trick."

"So... You said unless she's doing something specific... So does that mean you think this was her own idea?" Harry said. "Not Voldemort's?"

Everyone winced. "Maybe... she's disgustingly loyal to him, and I mean disgustingly," Draco said, making a face. "I swear, I think they've been up to things other than plotting to kill Harry, just the two of them."

"Anyway," Hermione said firmly as Harry grimaced and Ron sniggered. "What were you saying before that?"

"Right, I was meaning to say that coming up with some plan to kill Harry on her own to surprise You-Know-Who with sounds like just the sort of thing she would do."

"I thought he wanted to kill me himself," Harry said.

"I suppose, but the Death Eaters forget that pretty easily," Draco said. "They just know he wants you dead, and that they're living to serve him."

"Alright... So we think Bellatrix Lestrange has been using Polyjuice Potion to disguise herself as someone in this school in order to poison Harry?" Ron said. 

"More or less, that's the theory, yes," Hermione said. 

"Well, if it is Polyjuice, who is she disguised as?"

"Well... Have you noticed anything strange about any of the teachers?"

"Have you?" Ron asked.

"No, I don't think so," Hermione replied. "But... Professor Anglia..."

"What?" Draco said in surprise. "Why her?"

"Well, she's the only new teacher this term, and did you see how excited she seemed all throughout the process of finding out who poisoned Harry?"

"But would she really be that involved in finding out who the poisoner was if it was her?" Ron said.

"If she expected no one to catch on to the Polyjuice Potion idea a second time, then she would want to be as involved as a regular teacher might be to misdirect our attention," Hermione said thoughtfully. "She would want us to think exactly what you just said, Ron."

"I'm confused," Ron said.

"It's just her way of thinking. Reverse psychology, like I said."

"Well, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Draco said. "The teachers aren't going to believe you if you tell them you think it's Anglia. Snape's known her for a long time, and so have _I_."

"And again, it wouldn't look so good for Dumbledore," Hermione added.

"Well, still, Harry can't just keep being—" he was interrupted by a pecking sound at the window. Draco turned his head to see an owl trying to get in. Hermione got up and opened the window and the owl fluttered onto a table, holding a letter and looking expectantly at them. "It's for you, Draco," Hermione said, handing him the letter. Draco recognized the handwriting of the address immediately. He snatched it out of her hands and tore it open. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at him, waiting for his reaction. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and thoughtfulness, and he glanced up at them before scanning the letter again.

"What does it say?" Harry asked. "Is he coming here again?"

"No," Draco said, still staring at the letter. "He says he wants to see me, though... Harry, you should read this..." He handed the letter to Harry, looking away and staring at the wall in disbelief. Harry read through the letter and then looked at Draco with the same confused look on his face. "Did you tell him...?"

Draco shook his head. "I didn't tell him anything. The last time I spoke to him was when he visited us during Care of Magical Creatures."

Ron and Hermione were looking between them both, trying to figure out what was going on.

"...Well, then you also never told him about the bond," Harry said slowly. "He must've assumed... And our reactions probably reinforced that..."

"D'you mind maybe explaining this to people who have missed out on the details?" Ron said.

"My father... He says he knows about our relationship and he... He accepts us," Draco said.

"Well... Well, that's wonderful!" Hermione said.

"No," Draco said. "I don't believe it."

"Why not?" Hermione said. "He's your father, Draco, he cares about you..."

"He cares about me until I'm something different from him," Draco said. "He has his own ideas on who he wants me to be, and I can guarantee this is not it."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... idk if anyone's reading this anymore, but most of the chapters have been posted already so I may as well just finish up the last few. Enjoy!... if anyone's reading!...

"You have to talk to him about this," Harry said.

"Are you mad?! He's probably trying to trick me or something..."

"Why would he do that?"

"Harry, you don't know my father, he works for You-Know-Who, this is what he does..." 

"You really think he'd try and trick you?"

"Harry," Draco said, looking at him. "My father. Lucius Malfoy. Death eater."

Truthfully, Harry wouldn't at all put it past Lucius Malfoy to do something of the sort, but he was trying to make Draco feel better, and he himself wanted to believe that Mr. Malfoy was being genuine. "Draco, he probably didn't mean for you to worry so much about it," he said.

"That's probably exactly what he wanted," Draco said, his eyes widening in realization. "He sent this to distract me and stress me out, and he knows I'm weak when I'm stressed..." 

"You need to stop worrying about this," Harry said. "At least for a little while. This is all you've been thinking about since you got the letter."

"I... Suppose you're right," Draco said. "Worrying is quite exhausting, anyway..."

"Exactly," Harry said, pulling him down onto a couch. "So just rest for a little while." he rested his own head against Draco's shoulder, and they sat there for a while in silence. 

* * *

Sometime after Harry had dragged Draco down to the Great Hall the next morning for breakfast and was forcing him to eat something, another owl landed in front of them, knocking over Harry's cereal. Draco snatched the letter out of its beak and tore it open, knowing exactly who it was from. Harry watched his eyes move back and forth as he read the letter, his eyebrows furrowing again, and then his eyes widening. 

"What now?" 

Draco looked up at him. "He says... He says he's truly sorry for being unsupportive when he first saw us together, and that he wants me to..." Draco looked back down at the letter as if he had to verify that he had read it correctly.

"He wants you to what?" Harry pressed.

"He wants me to bring you home over the holidays so he can meet you."

Harry stared at him in stunned silence for a moment. "Wow," he said finally. "But you probably don't believe him, do you?"

"I don't know," Draco said, staring at the letter. "I want to, but... This is so unlike him. He's never been so... Understanding."

"I think we should go," Harry said.

Draco looked at him with an expression of horror. "What?!"

"First of all, what are you supposed to say when you tell him you're not going? And second, what if he really is telling the truth?"

"I'll tell him we have studying to do," Draco said.

"What about during the summer? He might ask then," Harry pointed out. "You can't put it off forever. Why not just get it over with now?"

Draco glared at him, knowing he was right. "...Fine," he said eventually. "But if we get attacked, it's your fault."

"Do you really think he's going to attack us?" Harry said, giving him a look.

"I'm sorry, I don't trust him... I'm trusting _you_ , right now, that this is going to turn out alright," Draco said. 

"Good," Harry said. "Now eat, that owl didn't knock _your_ cereal over."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The day that students were to return home, if they planned to, for the Easter holidays, Draco was a mess of nerves. He shakily boarded the Hogwarts Express with Harry the following Saturday, and Harry knew he was in for a good few hours of trying to comfort a nervous wreck.

Draco was quiet for the first few minutes, pulling out a book to read, but Harry could see that his eyes were staring down blankly instead of reading. "Draco," he said finally, knowing he was committing to hours of persuasion and reassurance, "it'll be fine."

As he expected, Draco looked up at him incredulously. "You don't know that! I should've never agreed to this, Harry, I don't know what I was thinking..."

"It's not good for you to worry about this for the entire trip," Harry said. "Let's talk about something else."

He brought up Quidditch, and once Draco had conformed effectively to the conversation, they spent a while chatting about it. Ron and Hermione joined them in their compartment not long after. Ron had been a bit disappointed that Harry was not spending the holidays at the Burrow with him, but he understood the situation. "Of course, I've never gotten serious enough about a relationship to meet the parents," he had said, successfully prompting Draco's nerves to return. "Lucky I've had relationships at all, really..."

Finally, they felt the train begin to slow down, and Harry, pleased that they had successfully distracted Draco for the length of the trip, gathered up his bags and followed the others out onto the platform. He could see that Draco had tensed up when they got off the train and shakily began looking around for his parents. He could tell he had found them when Draco gave a quiet, shaky intake of breath. Harry opened his mouth to give him some more words of comfort, but Draco molded his facial expression into a brave one and marched toward his parents, dragging Harry behind him. "Hello, Father," he said confidently.

"Draco," said Lucius pleasantly. "And Mr. Potter."

"No need to be so formal," Draco said plainly. "Call him Harry."

Lucius eyed his son with an expression Harry couldn't quite recognize. Then he turned his eyes back to Harry. "Harry," he said in the same pleasant tone. 

"Er... Good to see you, sir," Harry said untruthfully. 

He glanced, for the first time, up at Narcissa Malfoy. He had seen her only once before, at the Quidditch World Cup, where her expression had been the same smug look he had seen so often on Draco's face. Now, she looked more tired and worn, and there was a tiny trace of fright in her eyes. Harry could tell she had noticed the tension between her son and her husband. Draco looked up at her, giving her a significantly fonder look than he had given his father, and she hugged him gently. She gave Harry a polite smile, and then turned to lead them towards the exit of the station. Lucius walked by her side, and Harry and Draco trailed behind them. Harry tried to catch Draco's eye, but Draco was focused straight ahead, marching forward with purpose. 

When they arrived at the manor, Harry looked up at it in awe. "This place is enormous," he breathed, looking around at the property. Draco smiled at him and led him inside, his parents following. 

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Harry," Lucius said when they got inside. "Draco, I assume you'd like to show him around?"

Draco nodded and pulled Harry over to a hallway as his parents went the other direction. "See, they seem perfectly nice to me," Harry said, his voice lowered.

Draco shrugged. "Don't speak too soon. We haven't even been here a day. But anyway, unless you care about seeing a lot of empty guest rooms and drawing rooms and such, we can just skip to seeing my room if you want."

Harry nodded, and Draco led him upstairs and down another hallway before entering one of the doors in the wall. "Sorry about that," Draco said, pulling out his wand, flicking it, and making the clothes on the floor fold themselves and fly into a handsome wardrobe in the corner. "I keep forgetting we don't have a house elf anymore." 

"Was that nonverbal magic?" Harry said. "I can't do that very well."

"Oh, well, I'm not wonderful at it either, but I've been practicing this spell to try and get myself to clean up once in a while. I can teach you," Draco said, a pink tinge appearing on his cheeks, "if you want."

Harry smiled. "I think you'll be a good teacher."

He was right. It took them an hour or so of practice, but eventually Harry was able to flick his wand and clean up the room without uttering a word. They had fun messing up the room again each time the spell was successful. Harry was mostly glad that he had distracted Draco from worrying about his father. After they had decided they were finished practicing, Harry leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," Draco said, smiling. 

"Thank you for being my boyfriend." He kissed him again, a little longer this time. "And for teaching me the spell." He kissed him a third time.

"What's gotten into you?" Draco chuckled. 

"I love you," Harry smiled.

"I love you too." Draco leaned in to kiss him this time, but as soon as his lips brushed against Harry's, his mother's voice called "dinner!" and he jerked away from Harry in surprise. "Sorry. We need to go eat."

"One more kiss," Harry said, taking his face in his hands and kissing him firmly one last time before they went down the stairs to dinner.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Dinner was an awkward affair. Harry could hardly breathe through the tension between the family. No one talked about their day at work or discussed Quidditch or asked how school was going, like Harry had experienced at the Weasleys'. Most everyone was quiet, except for a mumbled "please pass the potatoes" here and there. Harry ate his food quickly, hoping to give the hint to Draco that he wanted to get out of there.

"So," Lucius said when they were finishing dessert, making Draco's gaze snap upward in surprise. "I've yet to see you and Harry separate hands. You must be very close."

"Yeah..." Draco said uncertainly. "We are..."

Lucius gave him a forced smile that looked more like a leer to Harry. "I daresay you two are rather exhausted after your travel and your meal? Let me show Harry to his room."

"His room?" Draco repeated. "But he needs to sleep with me." 

Harry nodded in agreement when Draco stamped on his foot.

"I'm afraid we Malfoys are a very traditional family," Lucius said slyly. "I must insist you sleep in separate bedrooms."

"Father, we quite literally can't," Draco said. "We've... The reason we've been holding hands this entire time is because we have this curse... Thing. It makes it so that if we aren't touching each other in some way, we both feel a lot of pain."

Lucius looked mildly surprised for a moment, and then he smiled his leering smile again. 

"Really," he said. "How very interesting. So this... curse... It is the only reason you are holding hands?"

"Er... Yes?" Draco said, uncertain where his father was going with this. 

"Hm. You know, actually, before bedtime, there's someone I'd like you to see," Lucius said. "Or in Harry's case, meet. I'm sure Harry's seen her around before. Kindly wait here while I get her."

Lucius swept away from them down some hallway and Draco caught Harry's eye nervously. 'What do you think he's up to?' He mouthed. Harry shrugged. 

They waited somewhat anxiously for a few minutes before they heard footsteps echoing from the hall Lucius had gone down. Lucius came into view, followed by a tall, thin woman with wavy brown hair. 

"Harry, I'd like you to formally meet Professor Anglia, who I assume you've seen at school," Lucius said, gesturing to the woman. "And of course, Draco already knows."

"Yes, yes, we've met," Professor Anglia said cheerfully. "Alright there, Mr. Potter? No more poisoning mishaps?"

"Er... No," Harry said uneasily. 

"Well, Draco, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say I was quite disappointed that it didn't work the second time either," Professor Anglia said, turning to Draco.

"...What?" Draco said.

"Oh, that's right," Professor Anglia said gleefully. "You don't know yet, do you?"

"Know what?" Harry said bravely. "That _you're_ Bellatrix Lestrange?"

" _What_?" Draco hissed at him.

Professor Anglia turned her gaze to him. "Ooh, very good, Potter," she whispered. "Yes, I thought it would be interesting to try the same little trick Crouch pulled a couple years ago, but I see that I am no match for the great Harry Potter. He has outsmarted us Death Eaters yet again..." She gave a mock sad face to a wall.

"But Draco here, I'm sure, can be of great help," she continued, her eyes gleaming dangerously in Draco's direction. 

"...What do you mean?" Draco said, glancing at Harry. 

"Draco, don't you want to help your auntie and your daddy?" Bellatrix said in a belittling voice. 

"...Help you do what?"

Harry had been so focused on Bellatrix he hadn't noticed Lucius slipping away out of his sight, and seconds later he felt his wand being snatched from his pocket. Lucius rejoined Bellatrix's side, sneering and twiddling Harry's wand in his hands. 

"This, of course," Bellatrix answered. "Watch out, Draco. Crucio!"

"Protego!" Draco shouted seconds before the spell hit Harry.

Bellatrix let out a small shriek as the curse rebounded to her. She glared up at the boys. "Now, Draco, don't be afraid, I won't hit you if you stay out of the way," she growled.

"You're not hurting him," Draco said firmly, looking her right in the eyes.

Bellatrix looked back at him, momentarily shocked. "Draco," she breathed. "I realize now that perhaps the reason you helped to save Potter when I poisoned him at Hogwarts was that you were afraid of getting into trouble. But there is none of that here. Now stand aside!"

She raised her wand again, but Draco planted his feet in front of Harry, guarding him. "No," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You won't hurt him."

"Draco—" Harry started.

"You won't hurt him," Draco continued, "because I love him."

Lucius's eyes widened; Bellatrix stared at Draco for a few seconds before she burst into her signature spine-shivering cackles. "Very funny, Draco... Now stand aside..."

Draco did not laugh and he did not stand aside. "I'm not joking," he whispered, his tone deadly. 

Bellatrix stared at him again, her eyes wide.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted at her, but Bellatrix rebounded the spell right as her wand began to fly from her fingertips. She wasn't laughing anymore, her eyes fixed on Draco. "Oh," she said softly. "So that's how you want to play this game."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"Draco."

"Draco, calm down."

"Draco, put the wand down."

"Draco, don't be afraid."

Draco stared at his parents, his eyes wide and darting frightfully from one to the other, his wand raised.

"She won't hurt you," Narcissa whispered.

"Oh yes I will!" Bellatrix snapped. "He wants to try and protect his precious Potter! He's a disgrace to your name, Cissy, and to a number of other things too!"

"You won't hurt my son, Bella," Narcissa said, quietly but firmly. 

"Your son is a filthy traitor," Bellatrix spat. "He is a traitor in blood, in family, and worst of all, a traitor to the Dark Lord!"

Draco seized his chance. "STUPEFY!"

It was a close call, but Bellatrix still had sharp reflexes and jumped out of the way of the stream of glowing light that nearly hit her. Draco stood, petrified that he had failed, waiting for what his aunt would do to him. 

"Hand over Potter," she snarled, glaring at him, "and no one will need to get hurt."

"No," Draco said simply.

"This is your last chance, Draco," Lucius cut in. "Choose wisely. Choose wisely which side you really want to be on."

"Draco, just let her have him!" Narcissa screamed, looking, to Harry's surprise, on the verge of tears. 

Draco took a shaky breath. "No," he repeated. After a few seconds, Narcissa went over and gently tried to take Draco's arm and separate from Harry, but she succeeded for only a few milliseconds before being shocked by the cries of pain that came from both boys and letting go, leaving Draco to snatch Harry's hand up again. 

"The curse... You weren't lying...?" Lucius said quietly. 

"No, the curse is real, but even if it wasn't, I still wouldn't let go," Draco said firmly. 

They all stared at him for a moment before Bellatrix spoke. "Perhaps this will change your mind. Crucio!"

Draco screamed and fell to the ground, dragging Harry with him. Narcissa screamed too, running over to him. 

Draco heard a mess of noise around him but he didn't care, he wanted to die, he didn't care what happened next—

"Get out of the way, Narcissa!"

"DON'T YOU HURT HIM!"

Draco felt someone shaking him, trying to revive him. 

"Draco? Get up, are you alright?" Harry's voice.

Draco blinked his eyes open, his vision blurry, and nodded shakily. He felt Harry yank him upwards and his vision slowly came back into focus. He hadn't even noticed that Bellatrix and Narcissa were dueling right in front of them. Lucius wasn't helping either of them, he was eyeing Harry and Draco as though to make sure they didn't try anything. No one was shouting anything, Narcissa and Bellatrix were simply flicking their wands and jets of light shot out of them at the other. 

"Expelliarmus!" Draco exclaimed, pointing his wand at his father; but it was a stupid move, since Lucius was already watching them and ready to react. "I'm not so sure you deserve your wand anymore," he said slyly, his eyes gleaming. 

But just as Lucius raised his wand, a cry came from Bellatrix's direction. Lucius's head turned, and Harry's wand flew successfully into Draco's hand, and he passed it to Harry. "Thanks," he muttered, but Draco was looking at Bellatrix, who was still in the form of Professor Anglia. She was shaking violently, her face began reforming. Thick, dark hair sprouted from her head and replaced the soft, brown waves; the bright eyes were replaced with heavy-lidded ones; her skin turned unnaturally pale. 

"STUPEFY!" Harry shouted at Bellatrix, who was too distracted to avoid the spell, and was knocked back on her feet. Harry pulled Draco with him and they broke into a run out of the manor, narrowly dodging a spell sent by Lucius. Even when they were outside they didn't stop running, they didn't stop running until they were several yards away from the building, and they finally collapsed, gasping for air, against a hedge in some other yard. Draco was holding Harry's hand so tightly it was turning white.

"How do we get... To anywhere, now?" Draco said, a terrified look in his eyes.

"Er... Good question," Harry said. "Maybe we should just walk until we think of something..." he began to stand and walk forward, but Draco tried to jerk him down again so harshly that they lost their grip on each other. Harry fell forward onto the street, throwing his arms out to break his fall, as a wave of panic surged through both he and Draco at the expectation of excruciating pain— they heard a loud bang, and Harry felt Draco pull him back against the hedge as a violently purple bus appeared in front of them. "The Knight Bus!" Harry exclaimed. "We can go to the Leaky Cauldron and stay there until we can contact someone, we can find the Weasleys, they'll help us... I can get more money from my vault at Gringotts, but for now I think I have some change in my pocket for the bus ride..."

"Harry," Draco interrupted. "Didn't you notice something?"

"Notice what?"

Draco looked at him and shakily let go of his hand. Harry tensed, once again expecting excruciating pain, but it didn't come. Draco didn't seem to be feeling it either. They stared at each other in shock, each trying to figure out what had happened to abolish their curse.

"Welcome to The Knight Bus," they heard. "Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conduc—"

"We know, we know," Harry said rather impatiently, shoving his change into Stan's hand as he and Draco boarded the bus. "We need to go to The Leaky Cauldron in London again."

"'Arry Potter!" Stan said excitedly. "I remember you! Ern, Ern, remember 'Arry? Remember how 'e rode with us a few years ago and said 'is name was Neville?"

Draco gave Harry a confused look.

"Don't ask," Harry muttered. "Anyway, what happened? Why can we suddenly be apart again and not feel anything?"

"I don't know," Draco said, his eyes staring into space because he was thinking so hard. "It must've been something that happened at the manor, since earlier when Mum grabbed my arm it still hurt us..."

"Two people that need each other in the future..." Harry murmured.

"What?" Draco said, looking up.

"Remember what Madam Pomfrey said, the first day the bond showed up?" Harry said. "She said the magic happens between two people that will need each other in the future. Maybe this is what we needed each other for."

Draco bit his lip softly, thinking it over. "She must not have told us that the bond breaks after the needs have been fulfilled," he said.

"Exactly," Harry said. "So... I guess we don't need to hold hands anymore." There was an air of near-disappointment in his voice.

"I guess not," Draco said, the same disappointment present in his tone.

They both looked down at their hands, which had finally been separated. 

After a few moments, Harry slid his hand around Draco's and smiled at him. "Well, at least if we separate by accident, it won't hurt," he grinned.

Draco grinned too. "I love you, Potter."

"Love you too, Malfoy."

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so the concept of "having to touch each other or else a lot of pain is felt" is NOT MINE. I read another fic a really long time ago and liked it so much I wanted to write my own version. Since it was so long ago, I have absolutely no idea what the fic was or who wrote it, so if anyone knows please tell me so I can credit them!


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